The Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC) Pilot Projects program facilitates the implementation of the SWEHSC strategic vision and goal of testing the most innovative ideas relevant to environmental health by fostering opportunities to fill important gaps in the SWEHSC research portfolio. To date, the Pilot Project Program has enabled the successful creation of several scientifically productive collaborations that have emphasized the strengths of the SWEHSC in the conduct of translational studies and aided in securing significant extramural research funds for SWEHSC investigators. To support the SWEHSC strategic vision, the Pilot Projects program provides short-term support for innovative projects that explore new areas of environmental health research or that aim to acquire the preliminary data necessary to pursue long-term extramural funding. As well, the Pilot Projects program supports the Career Development of new investigators and highly successful senior investigators wishing to redirect their research to encompass environmental health.